Resurrection
by PurpleGummiBear3
Summary: Katniss's dad "comes back to life." Peeta's not hijacked. Set during the Mockingjay. Katniss, Peeta, and Gale are filming propos in the ruins of District 12 when a familiar figure stumbles up. *Some parts are written variations of what Suzanne Collins wrote. No copyright intended* NOT MAGICAL OR ANYTHING - IT WILL HAVE EXPLANATION
1. A Familiar Face

**Chapter 1**

The soft hum of the hovercraft fills my ears. I rest my head on Peeta's shoulders and close my eyes. Thank God. He's here, with me. He's not with Snow, not in the Capitol. I know it's been a couple of weeks but I'm just so….grateful. I can't phrase it any other way.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

**_2 Weeks Prior_**

_"They're here!" Haymitch burst through the door, interrupting Finnick and I's nervous knot-tying. Both Finnick and I just stare blankly at Haymitch._

_"Didn't you hear me?!" Haymitch roared, sounding desperate. "They made it out...alive." As if something clicked I toss my overused piece of rope to the floor and grab at Finnick's hand. Since I'm a little woozy from the news I miss and Finnick, still shell-shocked and not moving, is no help whatsoever. When I finally do get ahold of his hand I tugg it gently towards the door._

_Finnick and I maneuver our way around the frantic hospital staff, wounded soldiers, and loved ones visiting patients. I look around my eyes alert when I hear a scream._

_"Finnick!" I turn to see a young woman running as fast as she can, through the massive wave of people in our direction. I feel Finnick's hand slip out of mine as he yells back._

_"Annie!" The crash into each other quite literally and are trapped in a tight embrace. I smile. 'So this is Annie Cresta? I'll have to meet her some other time.'_

_I look around frantically for Peeta, whipping my head around so fat I'm surprised my neck is still attached to my head. That's when I spy Gale. He looks well enough. 'He's alive' I think to myself. I take a deep breath but cringe when I see the doctor pulling a shard of glass from his shoulder._

_I start to head in his direction when I feel a rough hand pulling at my arm._

_"He's here" Haymitch says gruffly, leading me away. We approach a room swarmed by doctors and nurses. I reach for the door handle, yanking it open. The sight I see makes tears fall uncontrollably out of my eyes, and I start to shake._

_Sitting upright on the bed is Peeta. His golden locks now joined with dirt and blood, his body bruised and beaten. But as he lifts his head and his crystal blue eyes meet mine, everything fades away. No sounds, no buttons beeping, no machines whirring, no doctors yelling. It's just me and him and no one else in the world. He's here._

_As my feet stay cemented in one place I see a whirlpool of emotion flash across Peeta's eyes. They go from exhaustion and fatigue to disbelief, relief, and an overwhelming sparkle of joy. He sweeps the doctors to the side and stands up, shaking._

_"Katniss," He croaks. The sound of his voice, no matter how broken it is, breaks the cement holding my feet to the floor and the wall holding back all my pent up emotions. I fling myself at him as his strong arms embrace me._

_"Peeta!" I whisper the relief evident in my voice. Tears are pouring over my cheeks like a raging waterfall after a heavy thunderstorm. I feel water hit my shoulder and I know Peeta's tears are also streaming down his face. His arms tighten around me._

_"Katniss I can't believe it's you," Peeta whispers into my ears. As I cling to him for dear life I manage to choke out a few words._

_"I'm never letting you go again," I declare and press my lips against his._

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

The doctors had said there was a large amount of Tracker Jacker venom inside of him but they were able to get it out of his system before it inflicted serious damage. I sigh and tighten my grip on Peeta's hand even further. Gale sits, sleeping on the seat next to me. We're going to film propos in the ruins of District 12. Not exactly the greatest day ever.

There's a thump as the hovercraft lands on the ground. As Peeta, Gale, our Camera Crew and I leave the hovercraft I brace myself for the new nightmares sure to join the old ones after today.

My boot kicks up sand as we stand speechless in the middle of Town Square. Ash. That's all you can see. Where my District had once stood has been replaced by ash. My eyes well up with tears but I choke them back down. My mouth sets to a thin line and my eyebrows furrow. Snow. Will. Pay.

I turn around to find Gale and Peeta taking in the sight, their expressions closely resemble mine. I hold onto Peeta's hand and face toward the camera crew. Originally it was just supposed to be Gale and I filming today, but Coin ordered Peeta to go along with us. I still protest because two weeks after being rescued from the Capitol and he's already being forced to face something that even Gale and I, who were not excruciatingly tortured only a couple weeks ago, are not ready to face.

I tried to get him to sit this one out but, as usual, he was adamant.

"So… Where do we start?" I ask cautiously.

"Hmm, I don't really know what's around here so maybe-" Cressida starts before she is cut off by Gale.

"Could we just...look around first?" He asks, or more like demands. Cressida's gaze reflects a soft sympathy.

"Sure," She says. "Take your time, I know this must be hard." She then summons the crew too her. They're whispering but I think I heard Cressida say to film us while we're looking around the district.

I heave a heavy sigh. Can't we have one moment of grieving that isn't broadcasted to all of Panem? Oh wait I forgot. I'm still in this never ending nightmare that started two years ago when Prim's name passed through the shimmering pink lips of Effie Trinket.

I try to ignore the camera crew which I surprisingly succeed at because they keep a very far distance as to not disturb us.

-.-.-.-.-.

Gale, Peeta and I walk slowly around the ruin's of District twelve. Sidestepping around the rubble and through the ash; flinching at every corpse we see, looking away quickly, too afraid to see who it is. We come to the Hob and I notice Gale tense. I'm shaking against my will and Peeta wraps his arms around me in comfort.

This goes on for endless hours, or it seems to be. Finally, we end up in front of the bakery… or rather what used to be the bakery. As strong as Peeta has been through all of this, he finally breaks. He drops to his knees in the dirt and lowers his head. His body is shaking uncontrollably, silent sobs coursing throughout his body.

I bend down and tightly wrap both my arms around him, in an effort of consolement. Peeta is rightfully taking the sight of his ruined house harder than both Gale and I. But that's because both Gale and I have our families with us. Peeta does not. No one made it out. Not his mother, brothers, or his father who was so kind to me. Even though he had heard the news a while back, seeing it was a whole other thing. The sight of his family's burned down shop brings back the blow of their deaths in full force.

I feel Peeta's shaking start to slow and I lift his head and look him in the eyes. His eyes reflect all the anger, hurt, and sorrow he's feeling and I press my lips gently to his. I say no words of comfort, no inspirational speeches because… Peeta knows. He doesn't need that right now. What he needs is something to fall back on - support. And I intend to do everything I can for him.

I gently pull him off the ground and the three of us start walking again. As we reach the district fence I feel something odd within in me. I can't exactly place this feeling, but I don't like it. Everyone proceeds to crawl under the gate and into the un-charred woods that was not affected by the firebombs, much like Victor's Village which still stands.

Some how the camera crew got everything over and now I am headed to the boulder that has always been the meeting place for Gale and I. The further we trek into the woods the more that strange feeling grows. It's almost like sadness multiplied by ten, but…. different.

As soon as we reach the rock a flood of memories come rushing back to me. I'm 11, and now hunting safely along with Gale at my side; I'm 7, in the woods with my father singing songs as we pick edible berries for that night's supper. That's when I place the feeling. Longing.

I want nothing more than to rejoin those memories and feel the happiness I felt. I want to go back to before the games. That morning when Gale and I were picking blackberries BEFORE Prim's name was picked. I want to go back to before the mining accident. My father, mother, Prim and I seated at the table, eating the fresh game and plants from my father and I's haul that morning. My family joking and singing and poking fun at one another despite the world we lived in. I want to go back.

Silent tears stream down my face and I turn away. I feel Peeta's hand gripping my own and I regain my composure. Hurriedly brushing away my fallen tears I turn to Cressida and the camera crew.

"Okay, where should we start?"

-.-.-.-.-.-

We spend the next few hours reliving memories, which doesn't make me even more sad but it cheers me up. The three of us talk about happier times with one another. Gale and I tell Peeta of our adventures in the woods and Peeta tells us funny stories of his brothers and the bakery. Soon I feel a small amount of light in my heart pulling me out of the depression I was in.

We talk joke and laugh, forgetting the cameras are there when suddenly we hear a stick snap. As precaution or for show, Coin has dressed me up in my mockingjay uniform along with my bow and arrows. As a reflex I yank an arrow to my bow and aim in the direction where the noise came from. It's silent and I notice Gale and Peeta have drawn their weapons as well.

We sit there in silence, poised for attack, waiting. Then another stick snaps and I raise me bow up higher. The fog surrounding us blocks our view and we yet to know what is lurking near us. It may be an animal or it may be an ambush.

Another stick snaps and I can barely make out the silhouette of a man. This make me draw my arrow back even further and take a few steps forward.

"Show yourself!" Gale growls. The man continues to walk forward slowly, tripping as if he's hurt.

"Who are you? What are you doing here?" Peeta calls out, a glare glinting off his poised weapon.

As the fog clears a little bit I start to see the man a little bit more clearly. I blink.

"I said show yourself! Or we'll shoot!" Gale roars. The man's silhouette raises his hands in surrender or he's raising a weapon, I'm not really sure. As he steps into the light we can see clearly what he looks like.

He's limping and has a small knife in hand. His skin is pale and he looks fragile and weak. I rub my eyes. Is this… is this man…. I furiously shake my head as the man steps into a better view.

My heart stops beating in my chest, a scream building in my throat that I can't release. I start to feel dizzy and I hear my bow clatter to the floor and vaguely hear Peeta call me name.

I'm falling and then... it's black.


	2. Too Good To Be True

"Katniss!" I hear someone calling my name. I try to blink and focus the bleary world around me, my head is throbbing.

"P-Peeta?" I croak.

"Katniss! What happened to you?" He cries. That's when the memories come rushing back. I bolt straight up causing my head to throb even more. I hastily grab my bow and arrow and point it at the man again.

Gale is still aiming his bow towards man while Peeta was trying to wake me. My camera crew has come up further after they called back to the hovercraft that carries Haymitch and Plutarch. My shaking knees straighten as I stand up.

The man has not put down his small knife even though he is obviously out-numbered. I walk closer and stare into his eyes. My breath is catches in my throat and I go completely numb.

"What kind of sick joke is this?" I whisper, my voice trembling. I start to get angry, the Capitol did this!

"What kind of joke is this!?" I yell, my voice echoing off the trees. Tears are streaming down my face.

"Katniss?" Gale asks, confused. He looks to the man who seems to have trouble standing up straight.

"Do you know him from somewhere?" Peeta asks, knowing the look on my face. My tears are flowing even faster now.

"My father," I whisper angrily.

"What?" Both Gale and Peeta state at the same time, dumbfounded and looking at me as if I had mutated.

"This man, is disguised as my FATHER!" I shout. "Who sent you? Snow?!" I make this last remark to the strange man.

At that moment Haymitch and Plutarch come crashing into the woods with a group of soldiers.

"Put the knife down and your hands up!" One of the soldiers commands. The man simply looks at him and stuffs his knife in his pocket.

"So you're not from the Capitol after all." The man says quietly.

"What's going on?" Haymitch barks.

"Who are you?!" I screech at the man once more. He is covered in blood, dirt, and grime. Gale has now stepped back and is standing by Peeta, who is trying to calm me down.

"Katni-" Peeta starts.

"Answer me!" I cry.

"Easton Everdeen," The man replies, though he is dangerously swaying back and forth. I feel a wound in my heart re-open with a sudden blow.

"Liar!" I choke, my voice catching at the end. Everyone around me is frozen in shock. My bow is still trained on it's target and hasn't left.

"Katniss calm down," Peeta says firmly, resting a hand on my shoulder. I jerk it off harshly.

"No! He's lying! He is not my father! My father is DEAD!" I scream the last word at the man, trying desperately to hold back the sobs building up within me. Around me collective gasps are heard as the situation finally starts to dawn on people. Peeta's hands firmly grip my shoulders while Gale roughly lowers my bow.

"Catnip, Calm. Down." Gale says, enunciating each word. My eyes still trained on the man, and angry tears are clouding my vision.

"Let's take him back to thirteen," Plutarch announces. "Maybe we can… get some answers there…"

Not taking my eyes off the man, Peeta's strong grip guides me back to the hovercraft. The man is restrained and everyone piles into the craft.

We sit in silence as I tremble, more distraught than words can describe. Peeta pulls me to him in comfort and I bury my face in the crook of his neck, not wanting to look at the man disguised as my father.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

I sit, huddled with Prim and Peeta, waiting for news. Unlike the last time when my mother was unresponsive, she's hysterical. She's screaming at the doctors to let her see him.

A few hours later the doctors come out.

"We need blood samples from Katniss and Primrose Everdeen." A doctor says. We glance up.

"Why?" Peeta asks. The doctor sighs impatiently.

"We're running a DNA test to confirm the patient's identity." He answers. I glare at him.

"No. There's no point. That man is NOT our father," I snarl.

"Katniss," Prim looks up at me. "We have to… please. Even if it isn't him-"

"It ISN'T" I interrupt.

"Maybe, but you don't know for sure. NO ONE knows for sure. But that's the point. If I don't know for sure I will never be able to stop thinking about this. Please Katniss? For me?" Prim looks at me pleadingly. As usual, I cave."

"Fine." I say and thrust my arm out.

The next few hours involve needles, cursing under my breath, labs and waiting. My mother joined us, accepting defeat for now. We sit in silence until the doctor comes out once more.

"The results came back," He starts, more gentle than last time. We hold our breaths. "It's positive… The man in there is related to Katniss and Primrose Everdeen. That man is Easton Everdeen."

A shocked silence settles over the room. Prim gasps holding her hand over her mouth and my mother starts sobbing, uncontrollably. I sit there, completely numb. It's not possible. It ISN'T! I feel Peeta wrap his arms around me.

"Katniss?" He asks.

"It's not possible…" My voice barely above a whisper. "It-it-" I cover my mouth with my hand and start trembling. Peeta pulls me closer.

"Shh, Katniss it's okay," Peeta says in a soothing voice. "This is a good thing, right?" I pause. Is it a good thing? It is. It is a good thing. Something that's too good to be true. I can't fall into this trap.

"It's too good to be true," I say voicing my thoughts. "And in my experiences, 'too good to be true' turns out to actually be false." I state grimly, wiping my eyes. My mother and Prim are now listening in on the conversation.

"But it IS true Katniss!" Peeta protests. I shake my head in denial.

"No, it can't be. No matter what anyone says, my dad has been dead for 6 years. There's no changing that." My mouth sets in a thin line.

"Katniss-" Peeta starts.

"No!" I furiously interrupt. "It doesn't make sense! Think about it Peeta! My dad died in a mine explosion along with so many other people! Only a few survived, and that didn't include my dad. And even if he had somehow made it out alive why didn't he come back for us?! It. Doesn't. Add. up."

"I'm sure the doctors can find some explanation-" Peeta starts.

"How can they possibly explain someone, supposedly dead, popping up after six years?!" I'm starting to raise my voice a little. "It isn't logical."

"Fine Katniss, you want to reason with logic? Then YOU think about what you just said. People survived. That could've included your dad. No one found his body right? Then it could be possible." Peeta says.

"It was an explosion Peeta, bodies could have been obliterated." I cringe at the thought. Peeta throws his hands up in exasperation.

"The damn DNA test said he was your father Katniss! It's science, medicine, LOGIC!" Peeta cries. I hesitate, his words sinking in.

"There really is no other explanation for the DNA tests coming up positive other than him actually being our father." Prim decides to join in on the conversation. "I'm sure HE could tell us where he's been." I stare at her. Maybe…

"But-" I start, but cut myself off. I have no other explanation. "Could he really be my- my father?" Hope starts to dwell inside me and my spirits lift a little.

"Yes Katniss." Peeta says, calm now and sitting down. I start to show a hint of a smile. Then a different doctor comes out.

"The patient has gotten all his wounds clean, the severity of them vary- too many to list now, but I'm afraid his head trauma is the worst." The doctor says. I stiffen.

"As of right now, we've diagnosed him with amnesia," All at once the blow of my father's death breaks my heart again, the small bit of hope crashing.

"We'll try everything we can to reboot his memories, but until then we ask you not to see him to prevent confusion for him." The doctor finishes. My breath catches in my throat and tears cloud my vision.

"But isn't seeing his family the best way to jog his memory?" Peeta asks.

"I'm afraid not, we have to do a few more tests." With that the doctor exits. My gaze doesn't leave the door in front of me.

"See," I croak, tears spilling over my cheeks. "Too good to be true," I quickly stand up, blinking back the tears and walk towards the exit.

"Katniss!" I hear Prim and Peeta calling after me.

I run to the transport tubes that allow you to exit district thirteen. I tell the security guard I'm going hunting for game, and after securing the tracking anklet he lets me outside.

Soon, I'm running blindly into the woods carrying my bow and arrow. My feet bringing me further and further not stopping until what feels like hours. I collapse on the ground, my breathing heavy from running for so long. I rest my head between my knees and close my eyes, trying to rid myself of the bitter thoughts plaguing my head. I knew it was too good to be true.


	3. Aftermath

**Chapter 3 - Aftermath**

I dry the tears on my face angrily. These past two years, I have shed more tears than in all of the first 16 years of my life. It's going to stop; no more crying, no more sulking, no more whimpering and feeling sorry for myself. I stand up and brush myself off.

My mouth set in a hard line, my eyes showing no emotion, I head back to the transport tubes. Just like that the wall around my heart, built when my father passed and broken down when Prim's named was called, stands strong again. No one can hurt me.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Peeta comes over to me as I re-enter the hospital wing. My face passive, I say bluntly, "Any news?" Peeta looks at me, trying to read my thoughts.

"No," He says slowly. I nod and look towards the room holding my father.

"Get me when there is," I say as I turn to walk out.

"Where are you going?" Peeta calls after me.

"Training." I state icily.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Days pass by, no news. Training, Training, Training. I am constantly in the training rooms trying to keep myself occupied. As more days pass and no news comes I get angrier. And I'm channeling all of my anger towards one person. Snow.

Even thinking his name make my nose wrinkle as if I had just smelled something awful.

"I'm going to find him, and _kill_ him." I mutter under my breath as I assemble my gun in the training room. "Make him pay for everything he's done-" A scream is building up in my throat as rage starts to engulf me.

I gasp and tightly grip the edge of the metal table in front of me. I blink as hot tears start to prickle behind my eyes. I grip the table even harder.

I have been refusing to allow myself sadness. So all that sadness turns into anger which piles up on more anger and more anger and more anger- until I'm a ticking time bomb, waiting for that breeze that will put me over the edge.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

I'm running through the woods, tripping blindly on things that are not there. The air is evaporating around me, invisible hands grasping my neck that will not give way.

I turn my head one way. A corpse. I turn it the other. A uniform missing it's soldier. I tilt my chin upwards and a blood red sky with eerie fog clouds fill my line of vision.

I look down to see my legs are no longer moving. I try to kick my feet and they stay, grounded to one spot. Desperately, I will them to move, trying to focus on anything but the voice in my head. 'Run' it says. RUN.

I watch in horror as the ground around me vanishes and I fall into the deep, dark hole awaiting me. I'm falling down further and further in this endless hole, grasping at the rope that is not there.

Suddenly I am under water. I fight, this is my element. I can swim! I thrash around wildly reaching for the surface that is inches from my reach. To my horror I see the surface not coming closer but drifting further and further away. The harder I fight the quicker the surface draws away from me.

My eyes wide with panic, I feel the last of my air escaping my lungs. Vaguely, I hear a strange voice calling to me.

"Katniss!" It cries. I blink, my eyelids getting heavy.

"Katniss!...Katniss!"

"KATNISS! Wake up!" Peeta yells, shaking me violently. I bolt up, my blurry eyes trying to asses the situation.

"Huh?" I mumble, confused. Peeta and I haven't shared a room since my father was recovered. What's he doing here now?

"Peeta-" I try to say.

"Katniss! You're needed in the hospital wing!" He cries. I look at him blankly. "Go!"

With that he roughly shoves me out of bed and through the door. I stumble down the steps trying to find my way to the hospital, still not fully awake.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

**I'm sorry! I know it's short! Don't worry more will be coming :)**


	4. Sweet Memories

**Ok, I am sooooo sorry for not updating for so long! School has been...well...**_**school. **_**And did I mention I broke my arm? Yeah, whatever it's no excuse! I will try to update more frequently now that summer is coming! With no further ado, chapter 4!**

**.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-**

**Chapter 4 - Sweet Memories**

I burst through the hospital doors, alert and awake now. As my first instinct, I locate Prim and wrap my arms around her. It's then I notice the setting. There's no alarms blaring, no doctors bustling around. It's quiet. Quiet, but the tension is suffocating.

I look up at my mother who is biting her nails like it's food and she's starving. I glance down at Prim who still has my arms wrapped around her. Her face is filled with anxiety and confusion.

I slowly release her and face the doctor in front of me.

"What?" I ask, bluntly but not accusingly. The doctor gives a soft smile.

"Katniss," Prim whispers. I look at her. "They said we can see him." My eyebrows shoot up to my hairline. Prim and my mother look at me as if I'm about to explode and I can't blame them. I haven't exactly been the calmest person when it comes to the resurrection of my dad.

"If you're ready," The doctor says reassuringly. Apparently she thinks I'm a ticking time bomb as well.

"I.." I choke on my words. "Could..could I get Peeta first?" I say in a low voice. I could've sworn Prim's face lit up. Having no control over myself anymore, I blurt, "What did I say Prim?"

"Well…" She nervously wrings her hands and looks at my mom. "You...uh… well you haven't really been close with Peeta now days…" She avoids my eyes.

Crap. It's true. I have been shutting Peeta out. It's not until that moment when I realize how icy I've been towards him. I want to smack myself!

I sigh, "I know Prim, I'm an idiot," She looks at me curiously. "I'll be back," I finish and start walking to get Peeta.

I turn the knob of Peeta's door. He's sitting by the window, his eyes glazed over. Thinking. As he turns his head and spots me, he bolts up and runs over.

"What happened?" He asks, worried.

"They, uh, said we could see him." I mumble. Peeta's eyes widen to the size of saucers.

"Wha - didn't the doctors say you couldn't see him?" He questions, confused.

"Yeah," I say shaking my head. "I don't know I guess they changed their minds. I didn't really stick around long enough to know." If they could, Peeta's eyes got a little bit wider.

"Not because I stormed out," I say quickly, reading his mind. Peeta seemed to relax. "I just wanted to get you first." I look down and my feet as I speak. Peeta's gaze softens and he squeezes my hand. In that moment a silent apology passed between us.

"Well," I say. "Let's go, they're waiting for us." I tug his hand gently and guide him down the steps to where Prim and the doctors are.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Grasping Peeta's hand, I take a deep breath as the doctor opens the door in front of me. Beside me, I hear my mother gasp and I can feel Prim tense. Sitting upright in the bed in front of me is my father. My, up until a few weeks ago, dead father.

A weak smile is tugging at his lips and tears are pooling in his eyes. I slowly advance forward. My mother is at his bedside in a second, silently sobbing, beside herself.

I stand idly by with Prim, watching my parents reunite. It feels like I'm in a dream. I keep telling myself this isn't real, but it is. My father turns his head to look at us.

"Katniss….Primrose… it's you." My father trails off into a whisper. Prim's eyes widen.

"You...remember? But I thought-" Prim starts.

"The effects of the amnesia seem to be subsided for now. Not all of his memories are back, but he's slowly regaining them." A doctor with a clipboard interrupts Prim, scribbling notes at the same time.

If it's possible, I grip Peeta's hand even harder.

"Katniss..." My father croaks. "You've gotten so big, look at you." He smiles, shakily. "And Prim, you're all grown up." His eyes start to water. The sight of his broken face brings back a wave of memories that I treasure.

Suddenly, I'm in the forest outside District 12. The sun shining down from between the trees and the mockingjays are echoing sweet melodies throughout the woods.

"_Katniss." My father says. My eleven year old self looks up at him. "Focus." _

"_Right." I say and draw back my bow. A few yards away lies a squirrel prancing around in the new, spring grass. It seems to be having a conversation with the trees, the way it's squeaking and squealing back and forth. It's almost seems like a shame to have to silence it._

_I take a deep breath, centering myself once more. I count in my head, 1...2...3. My grasp on the arrow releases and it cuts through air with grace. The squeaking stops abruptly. A small squirrel lays silently on the forest floor. An arrow shot clean through it's eye._

"_Good job Katniss!" My father says proudly. I beam and walk over to pick up the squirrel. As I bring it over to my father a small frown graces my lips, sad to have taken a life. My father notices this and smiles warmly at me._

"_Right through the eye again," He bends down to my level. "See? It felt no pain." This makes me feel lighter and my frown softens into a small smile._

_The next few hours are spent gathering fresh berries from the bushes and having a race in the lake by the house that my father built. As we walk home towards the gates, my father drags the haul of meat for the day, and I carry the gatherings._

"_Tomorrow Katniss, I'll show you how to tap the spiles on your own. Then you can gather the sap offered to us by the trees. We'll give them to your mother and she can show you how to make a special dessert for Prim's birthday! How does that sound?" My father smiles at me._

"_Yeah!" My eyes sparkle at the prospect. We carry the food back to the house where my mother and Prim wait for us. Satisfying my stomach with fresh meat, I settle down into next to Prim. I fall asleep, dreaming of the trees and the forest with all the mockingjays singing, a small smile still dancing upon my lips._

_But I never did get to tap the spiles on my own. Nor did I get to make a special treat for Prim's upcoming birthday. Because the next day… it happened._

_It was the day when school was stopped and the District was in a panic. It was the day when Prim and I joined the crowd gathered outside the ruined mines. It was the day the Peacekeepers were climbing in and out of the crumbing mine shafts, pulling out survivors one by one. It was the day a piece of me was ripped away as I saw miners emerging from the smoke, none of them with my father's face._

_It was the day when my father… left forever._

And now.

Now, my father sits before me. With a face I had yearned to see for many many years. A face I had desperately searched for among the coal and smoke from the explosion. A face of warmth, kindness, and love. My father.

A glittering tear slowly glides down my cheek, stopping only for a moment at my chin before it plummets to the ground below. My lips part in a small whisper, forming a single word.

"Dad."

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

**Yay! Chapter done! The explanation about his miraculous resurrection is coming...slowly but surely...coming. Hehe... Anyways, thanks for reading! :)**


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